Two new businesses have been hired to help Wisconsin companies cut energy use and utility costs.

The state Focus on Energy program announced the hiring of The Weidt Group of Minnetonka, Minn., and CLEAResult of Austin, Texas. CLEAResult has a local office in Madison, after buying energy consulting firm EnVise LLC last year.

The Weidt Group will launch new construction programs for both the multi-family residential as well as non-residential building markets. Weidt will open a Wisconsin office, Focus spokeswoman Sara Ifert said.

CLEAResult will set up a retro-commissioning program, which will review a building's boilers, chillers and heating and cooling systems to improve their performance, Ifert said.

New vendors have been hired in recent months because the state’s Public Service Commission selected Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure Group to replace Madison-based Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp. as the primary contractor for the program.

Focus on Energy is overseen by the state’s electric utilities as well as the state Public Service Commission.

About Thomas Content

Thomas Content covers energy, clean technology and sustainable business. A series he co-wrote on energy and climate change won top honors in 2008 from the National Press Foundation.

Energy Business News

EnSync Energy Systems has shipped a utility-scale energy storage system to South Korea, the Menomonee Falls company said.

The 500-kilowatt-hour system incorporates enough battery power for four or more hours of discharge, using EnSync’s zinc bromide flow batteries as well as power electronics and converters.

Formerly known as ZBB Energy, EnSync is focused on smaller energy storage systems for commercial buildings such as projects it's built in Hawaii in recent years. But it's also been working on larger energy storage systems.